DevastatngDiva

As a light comedy about nothing serious, it's a great 30 minute escape from the everyday. Each episode is good for a quick laugh or two, and when it's over, you go back to your life with a clean slate.

But, if you really think about it, it's just an adult version of a Disney show. From the silly story line (someone creates a problem and, instead of handling it responsibly, they plot and plan some silly scheme to weasel out of the problem), to the overacting, it follows the Disney formula to a "T." The only difference between this show and "Hannah Montana" or "That's so Raven" are the adult themes and the liberal use of curse words. Thank goodness Emily Osment has done other projects to show that she can actually act.

This movie is an example of what can happen when the author of a poorly written book has too much creative control over the movie adaptation. In particular, the source material is essentially a kinky-sexed up Harlequin Romance novel: entertaining but definitely not Pulitzer worthy. The screenwriters took what could have easily become a "backroom video" and created a commercial film by streamlining the plot, beefing up the comedic elements and toning down the erotica. Unfortunately, there were small plot turns peppered throughout the movie that were so disjointed that left the audience and (most likely) the actors struggling to understand the characters.

While Dakota Johnson did well in her portrayal of the naive Anastasia Steele, her scripted expressions often seemed unnatural. She did, however, project the appropriate emotions beautifully when left to her own devices. On the other hand, Jamie Dornan's swoon worthy looks could not help his performance. He was unbelievable as the prodigious-but- broken Christian Grey. His attempts at restrained and self possessed came across as frat-boy-creepy and his "boss mode" seemed whiny with the seriousness of a six year old playing make-believe.

Moreover, the soundtrack masked but couldn't completely overcome the utter lack of chemistry between the two actors. When they were supposed to be looking, lovingly, into one another's eyes, the only emotions conveyed were disdain and/or disgust. Unfortunately, most of scenes that would have make the audience believe these two characters were actually falling in love were cut.

In sum, while it's not the worst movie ever made, I wouldn't rush to DVR it.

At the core, this movie is not about interracial romance. It is the classic movie about love that transcends societal boundaries. Had the main characters been of the same ethnicity, this movie would be some variation of "Pride and Prejudice," "Pretty in Pink," "Two Weeks Notice" or the many similar movies in existence.

But there were three key elements of the movie that set "Something New" apart from other movies of this sort:

(1) The protagonist, Kenya, is not a part of the "underdog class." In other movies, the protagonist develops an "outside looking in" view of the relationship. Brian, the male lead of "New" becomes a part of Kenya's world and, while his position is not ignored, the focus is on Kenya's experience. With this new perspective (pun almost unintended), the audience develops a better understanding of the protagonist's inner conflict instead of forging sympathy through a series of events.

(2) The movie sought to explain why/how the societal boundaries presented a problem with the relationship. In most other movies, the audience does not get a clear view - other than the protagonist's insecurities - why the boundaries are a problem. "New" did an admirable job of presenting both the external and internal obstacles to Kenya and Brian's relationship.

(3) The movie tackled the still-taboo issue of a white male/black woman **romantic** relationship. And it was very well done. The primary objective was to tell a story, not make some global political statement. There are many that may argue the opposite and claim that there are many outdated or unrealistic events throughout the movie. But the truth is that, even in the 21st century, the story was frighteningly representative. My only complaint was that, unlike most romantic comedies, external disapproval was one sided. In reality, disapproval comes from both sides of the societal line. A 1-2 minute scene could have made this point without slowing down the flow of the movie.

As a Romantic Comedy enthusiast, I can say that "Something New" is definitely among the best written Romantic Comedies to date. In fact, I believe that the movie as a whole is at least as good as my personal favorite "Love Actually." My hope is that people will view this movie for what it is - a Romantic Comedy - instead of another "urban" movie centered on interracial dating.